Not Even Death
by Rainbow-Says-Rawr
Summary: Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note:** Yep, I'm starting _another _phan-phic. But, this will probably take a backseat to my other current story. I think this idea has been done before, but I still decided to try it out. I got this idea when I was watching a whole bunch of Asian horror movies, particularly The Wig. Don't ask how this inspired it exactly, but I wanted a phic where Erik is an _actual _ghost. This will be a hell of a lot more supernatural, and most likely more dark. Also, random note; Erik isn't deformed _yet. _And, I just gave him a surname that I thought fitting. Oh, and the reason I set this in the modern day? I just like it better. Maybe because I'm more comfortable with it? I don't know. But anyways, enjoy, and please review! This chapter is really lighthearted, but it will get a _lot _darker soon.

**Edit:** I've been having some problems with chapters repeating and stuff and I don't really know why. I hopefully fixed it, but problems may arise.

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**Chapter One**

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Christine could not believe nor understand what had happened to her in the past few weeks. Everything had changed so entirely fast. She couldn't even understand how it had happened. All she knew was that she was in _way _over her head. Not only that, but she was now realizing that she _never _had any control on the situation. Someone else seemed to decide for her. And yet she obeyed.

She guessed her downfall was the day she met Erik. However, looking back, she guessed if she had to pinpoint the real start of her problems was the day she was reunited with Raoul.

* * *

"Erik, would you mind if I went shopping for a little while?" Christine said, peeking through the doorway as Erik sat at the piano, composing. He stood immediately after she asked this. She took this as a gesture to enter and did so.

"Of course it is fine, my dear. Do you need me to call the driver?" Erik asked.

"No, I'm going with Meg and she's driving." Christine replied.

"Whatever you want, Christine." He picked up her left hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the finger where a simple gold engagement ring resided. "You know I love you, don't you, Christine?" He always reminded her of this, and his tone was always hopeful and desperate; as if he expected her reply to change. As if he was afraid she would reject him.

Christine smiled and brought her other hand up to his perfect face and caressed it lovingly, before pushing a stray hair out of the way. "Yes, Erik, I do. I love you too." Erik released her hand she walked towards the door. "I shouldn't be more than a few hours. I will certainly be back in time for dinner."

* * *

"Come on, Christine, let's go into Victoria's Secrets! You could pick something up special to wear for Erik!" Meg exclaimed, practically skipping down the busy streets.

Christine blushed fiercely. "Uh … Meg we don't do … _that … _yet." She said, stumbling over her words.

"Why not? You two are engaged, and you live together! It's perfectly fine for couples to do … _that, _as you call it." Meg said, smirking at her friend and elbowing her slightly in the ribs.

"Well, us living together is for the sake of convenience. Anyways, it was certainly an improvement from my busted down old flat." Christine explained. "But I'm certainly not ready for uh, you know, and for some reason, I get the impression that Erik is not either."

Meg giggled. "I can't believe you can't even say it. Sex, sex, sex!" Christine's eyes widened, and she clamped her hand over Meg's mouth.

"Meg, oh my God! We're in public, there is people here!" Christine exclaimed in outrage, but had to stifle laughter herself. She removed her hand from her friend's mouth, and they continued down the street.

"Oh! Look! Ice cream!" Meg exclaimed, running towards a small stall.

"God, Meg, I swear, you are the most easily distracted person in the history of mankind-" Christine said, but was cut off when she saw a certain face that she recognized.

"What is it, Christine?" Meg asked.

"I just … thought I saw someone I knew …" Christine said, her mind elsewhere, "uh, Meg, do you mind if I ..."

Meg looked over her shoulder, trying to see what she was looking at. "Who's that?" She said once she figured out where Christine was looking.

"I think that's Raoul … my childhood friend." Christine explained, finally regaining her mind from her the fog of surprise.

"Oh! Well, say no more, Christine. I'll just be a few stores ahead. Just catch up when you're ready." Meg said.

"Okay." Meg walked towards the ice cream stall, Christine approached Raoul. "Uh, excuse me, this may seem weird but, are you Raoul de Chagney?"

"Uh, yes, and you are?" He replied.

"I'm Christine Daae." Christine smiled as a look of recollection and understanding passed over his face.

"Christine!" He exclaimed, smiling before hugging her. "You look really different nowadays."

"Well, I can't say the same for you. You don't look that much different." Christine said.

"I haven't seen you in such a long time! Do you want to go get coffee or something?" Raoul asked. Christine looked at her watch.

"Yeah, I think I have time. I know a really awesome cafe that's just down the street."

* * *

"So, I don't mean to intrude, but I happen to see a ring on your finger. Who's the lucky man?" Raoul asked, sipping his coffee.

Christine looked down at her left hand. "Oh, yeah. I'm engaged to Erik Garnier."

"Erik _Garnier? _You're engaged to _him?" _Raoul said in shock.

Christine blinked."Yeah … is something wrong with that?"

"No … nothing, it's just that … he's not known to be the kindest person. In fact, he has a reputation for the opposite."

"Well, he has quite a temper, I'll give you that. But, he's really sweet if you get to know him." Christine said.

"How did you two meet?"

"It was actually a year ago. It'll be exactly a year in a little less in a week, anyways. But, it started out in College. He was my private voice instructor. I couldn't even afford his lessons, but he said it didn't matter. I guess … the music brought us together. I know it's kinda … wrong to date your teacher, but I'm glad I did. So, well, now here I am. It's not that interesting of a story, I guess." Christine said.

"I'm glad for you."

"Thanks!" Christine looked down at her watch. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I've got to go. Meg's probably pretty angry by now."

"Okay," Raoul said, "I'd like to see you again. Here, I'll give you my number." He wrote his phone number on a napkin, a handed it to her. She put it in her purse and bid him goodbye.

She ran back to where Meg had agreed to meet her.

"It's about time. What exactly were you two doing?" Meg said irritatedly.

"Nothing. We just talked. I'm sorry we had to cut our shopping short." Christine explained.

"No, it's fine," Meg assured, "we can just go shopping later."

"Well, I'm still sorry. But I have to go home. I promised Erik I'd be home in time for dinner." Christine sighed.

"Let's get going then." Meg said, slipping into the drivers seat of the car.

* * *

Christine walked into the den, surprised that Erik wasn't there waiting for her. She was about to call for him when she heard him call from the upstairs study. She walked into the study to find Erik sitting in a large armchair, facing the fireplace with his back to her.

"What did you do, Christine?" Erik hissed.


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note:** I know Erik's anger seems rather abrupt, but I assure you it is for a reason. And, just so you know, this is mainly Leroux, but I'm adding bits of Kay. As it is, this story will be pretty short, I don't know how many chapters … and, I can't tell if the ending will be sad or not. It's not too depressing, to me, but I have a weird sense of depressing. Just a warning to you guys.

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**Chapter Two**

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Christine blinked in shock at the venom in Erik's voice. She had never heard Erik so angry. Sure, he had quite a temper, and he had gotten unreasonably angry, and shouted at her, but not like this. "I-I just went out shopping, Erik. You said it was okay!" Was he _jealous? _She had never known Erik to be this possessive … well, okay, she had, but this was _scary._

He stood and turned to her, a furious look upon his face. "I did not say it was okay to run around with other men, like some kind of harlot."

Christine gasped in outrage and slapped him. "Erik! How could you say that? I would never do anything like that!"

Erik growled an honest _growl _and clutched his cheek where she hit him. "Are you so sure, Christine? What were you doing with the _boy _then, my dear?"

"He is just a friend, Erik! I haven't seen him in years! All I did was talk with him!" Christine. "What is wrong with you today?"

"What is wrong with _me? _What is wrong with _you? _You, who left your poor Erik all alone while you flirted with that boy!" Christine's eyes widened at his use of third person. She had never seen Erik like this. He advanced towards her and Christine backed away until she fell into a chair. Erik put his arms on the both of the arm rests, pining her to the chair and leaning forward towards her. His sleeves were pushed up past his elbows and Christine saw a little pin-prick wound on the inside of his elbow. The situation she was in was temporarily forgotten as her concern took over.

"What is that?" She whispered, leaning closer to inspect it. He immediately drew back and covered it with his hand, self-consciously.

"_Nothing, _my dear. Don't try to distract me from your little betrayal._" _Erik hissed.

"Erik! You are being ridiculous! I love you! Raoul is just a friend, I swear. And anyways, how do you even know about that? Are you having me _followed _or something?" Christine ground out.

"_I _am being ridiculous? What about you-"

"STOP! Stop trying to turn this back around to me! You just need to control everything! You are trying to control this conversation, and you are even trying to control me! You may be my fiancé , but that doesn't give you the right to try to control me! I'm going to my room!" Christine stormed out of study, and in her anger did not notice Erik following her until she walked into her room and he slammed the door shut behind her, before locking it from the outside. "Erik! You bastard! Unlock the door this instant!" She screamed, banging on the door.

"If you want to act like a child, then Erik will treat you like a child. You will stay in your room until you are ready to apologize." Erik's furious voice came from the other side of the door. "I will have your dinner brought up to you later." Christine kicked the door, but it seemed that Erik had left. She silenced herself, pressing her ear to the door, and heard the tell-tale signs of his anger and destruction coming from the study. Soon, she knew, she would hear him play his _Don Juan Triumphan_t. Christine couldn't understand how a man like him could hold enough hate and anger to produce something like that. She angrily grabbed her iPod and headphones. She hated his _Don Juan_, and didn't want to hear it.

There was _no way _she was going to apologize. There was nothing she had to apologize for. Erik was being irrational and ridiculous, and he would realize that in time and _he _would apologize. Christine would just have to wait for him.

Christine lay on her bed, blasting music from her headphones to drown out Erik's music. About an hour later, one of the house staff came up with her dinner, as Erik had said, but Christine refused. She was too angry to eat. She didn't know how long it was before she fell asleep, but she did, fully clothed and with her iPod still playing.

* * *

Erik slipped silently into Christine's room after he was sure she was asleep. He frowned when he could hear Christine's music from across the room. He would have to talk to her about that at a later opportunity. He walked closer to her and gently slipped her headphones off, pausing her iPod and putting it aside. He then gently stroked her face before lifting the covers and pulling them over her. Christine stirred slightly and smiled. "Erik ..." She murmured in her sleep. Erik sighed happily. Even if she was angry at him when awake, at least she loved him in her sleep.

He could not afford to lose her. He did not know what he would do, if he did. If she left him, it would most likely result in many deaths. No matter what, he would keep her with him. He would never leave her … but, he need to be more gentle. He would only anger and scare her, with the way he was acting.

Erik then walked to her purse and sifted through it until he found the scrap of paper that the _boy _had given her. Erik scowled, and crushed the paper in his hand.

Looking back at Christine, he softened. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving her room and as an afterthought, left her door unlocked.

* * *

When Christine woke the next morning, sunlight was streaming in through the window behind her bed. She stirred in her bed before sitting up gradually. She completely forgot about the earlier day's events until she looked over at her bedside table and saw her headphones and iPod sitting there. Erik must have been into her room, for she was sure she fell asleep with them on. She jumped out of bed and turned to knob on her door frantically, exhaling in relief when it was, and threw open the door.

She entered the hallway cautiously, looking both ways as if she expected Erik to jump out behind a corner or something. He, of course, did not, and she walked down the stairs and into the dining room where Erik sat at the table, with a plate of breakfast across from him.

Christine, who had not eaten dinner the previous night, sat down despite her anger at Erik, and began to eat.

"How are you this morning, my love?" Erik asked. Christine looked warily at him. _Does he really think he can just ignore what happened last night?_

"Not that good, Erik, I must admit." Christine muttered, looking down at her plate.

"Why is that, Christine?" Erik asked, tilting his head ever so slightly.

"Erik," she began, "just please stop. Do you really think I would forget about last night?"

He sighed. "I had hoped you could."

"Why were you so angry?"

"I do not like that boy, Christine." He said, "and I do not want you around him."

"What, do you think I'm going to run off with him?" Something in Erik's eyes hardened, but she still continued. "I love _you, _Erik, but you really scared me last night."

"Then I will never do it again. Finish you breakfast, Christine, and then meet me in the music room. I would like to have another lesson with you." Erik said, standing and leaving the room. Christine just sighed and resigned herself to staring at her food.


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note: **Yep. Another chapter. A random question to all who have read both this story, and my other, Just One Man, which would you rather see me update? Mainly out of curiosity. But thanks for the reviews! More couldn't hurt, though … give in to my not so subtle hints! Do it!

Oh, and just to make sure, as some people did not seem to completely understand (granted, I didn't make it the clearest, but whatever) that Erik is not deformed _yet._ He's perfectly handsome at the current point in time. (:

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**Chapter Three**

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Christine finished her breakfast before going up the stairs towards the music room where Erik was, of course, waiting for her. She was still slightly angry at him, and for the life of her she couldn't realize why _he _had been so angry. She knew he was a jealous person, but never before had she seen him like that. She shook her head, trying to shake thoughts from her mind. She would try and forget it. As long as Erik did not act as such again. No reason to ruin what had been up until then a wonderful relationship.

The lesson did not last long. Christine's voice was as beautiful as it always was, but there was a certain quality that Erik couldn't understand. And he hated it.

Eventually, he gave up. None of his corrections seemed to be able to do much of anything, and he could see Christine getting agitated, so he decided to drop it. He sighed, stepping away from the piano and turning around to face her. She just looked away and crossed her arms over her chest. He took her hand lightly in his and walked her over to the couch. Kneeling in front of her, he sat her down. Her brow furrowed slightly as she wondered what he was doing. He said nothing and did not release her hand. In fact, he grasped her other hand lightly and held them together, pressing quick kisses to her hand.

"Tell me, Christine." He said, before pressing one last kiss to her hands. "Is there anything I can do to fix … things? I … Erik is so sorry."

_There is the third person again … I thought we were done with that! _Christine sighed and half-heartily tried to pull her hands away from his. "Just … never do anything like that again … okay? Just because I wanted to see a childhood friend doesn't mean anything about you and I … I just hadn't seen him in a while." Erik said nothing and just looked down at the floor, suddenly interested in the rug.

"Why don't you … go out with your friend?" Erik said, looking up once more.

"Meg?" Christine said, brow furrowing slightly. "Why?"

"Well … I'm sure that your little shopping trip was cut short," Erik said, a hint of restrained anger in his voice. "And I have things to do."

Christine frowned, realizing that he had basically told her to 'go play'. She glared at him and yanked her hands away, standing up and walking to the door way. She turned back to him and almost hissed out a goodbye, storming out of the room. She walked into her room to grab her purse before calling Meg to see if it was okay to come over. Her friend eagerly agreed.

Erik's driver, Louis, was already waiting in the foyer. Erik must have already informed him. She just sighed and walked to the car. Watching as the houses and apartment's grandeur depleted as they drove further away, Christine frowned slightly. Meg didn't live in a bad part of town, per say, she just wasn't in a rich part, either. Christine's frown left her face when she realized how much she had gotten used to 'living in luxury', as Meg always begrudgingly called it.

The car arrived shortly and Christine left, not bothering to tell the driver when she would be back. If she needed a ride back, Meg could always do it.

She walked up to the apartment, and rang Meg's doorbell. The girl skipped down the stairs – really, Christine was surprised she didn't trip and fall flat on her face – and opened the door. Meg's excited expression turned to one of slight concern.

"Are you okay, Christine? You look kinda tired … or something." Meg asked.

"Uh … yeah. I guess." Christine said, moving inside the door and walking towards the stairs.

"You don't sound very sure of yourself." Meg said, walking in front of her to open the door. They both sat on the couch, slightly facing each other. "So what's wrong? Trouble in paradise?"

"Well, I mean, I wouldn't call it paradise ..."

"God, Christine! Erik could probably be the poster boy for what every girl wants! I mean, he's handsome, rich, he loves you and he's sweet to you … what more do you want?" Meg exclaimed.

_Maybe a little more mental stability? _"It's not that, Meg, it's just that … he just … freaked out at me last night."

Meg's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know that guy I saw yesterday, my childhood friend? Well, after I saw him, when I got home?" Meg's nod was her cue to continue. "Erik just … completely flipped out. He was really jealous, and angry … he yelled at me and I stormed out and went to my room. Well, he locked me in it for the rest of the night. He said I was acting like a child, so I should be treated like one."

Meg's eyes widened. "Uh … wow. You're too nice for your own good. If it was me, I would have dumped him in a second."

Christine smiled slightly at her friend. "Meg, you also go through guys much faster than anyone I know."

"Hey! It's not like I'm a slut or anything! I'm just … experienced."

"Whatever you want to tell yourself."Christine said lightly, before sobering. "Anyways, I've been with him for almost a year … I don't want to ruin it just because Erik is in a bad mood or something. I'll just have to … work through it or something."

"Well, okay … but if you need a place to stay or something, I've got an extra room here." Meg said.

"Thanks. Well … what do you want to do now?"

"We could rent a movie, or something … whatever you want."

Christine smiled. "That sounds nice."


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note: **I felt I should give you guys a quick update, especially with how evil this chapter (or at least the ending) is. So here you go. This is the start of the really dark stuff ... not that it was a frolic through the meadow before, but still ...

I'll try to update soon, so as not to leave you with that monstrous cliff hanger. Thanks for the reviews ... but I'm still going to continue to beg. My pride is long since gone, so why not? Please review!

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**Chapter Four**

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Christine stayed at Meg's house for pretty much the rest of the day. She kept expecting for Erik to call her and tell her to go home, but the call never came. Christine wasn't sure how she felt. She almost felt sad about it … in all the time she had known Erik, he had never been one to push her to the side. She was always his main concern.

By the time Christine decided to go home on her own, it was well into the evening, and she had received no word from Erik. Meg was glad to drive her home, insisting that Christine call her if anything happened.

When Christine walked into the house, Erik was no where to be seen. Christine checked his favorite rooms; the study, the den, the music room, and the library – she even checked his room, though he didn't really like her being in it – but he was in none of them. Walking back into the foyer, she found out from Louis that Erik had left soon after her and still hadn't returned. She frowned and ran up to her room. Erik had never ignored her like this … sure, he was a busy man, but he was left notes or texted her if he couldn't be with her. It upset her.

Christine just sighed and readied herself for bed. She expected Erik to come in and wish her goodnight as he always did, bu he did not and Christine just turned off the beside table lamp, and crawled further under the covers, frowning.

* * *

Christine still didn't see Erik the next morning … Louis said he was there, mumbling something about how annoying it was to be woken up at 3:00 am just to drive him home. Christine ate her breakfast alone and occupied herself with books and such, trying to take her mind off of the current situation.

A couple of hours later Erik still wasn't around. She didn't know if that meant that he was asleep … or what. Erik wasn't one to sleep late, but then again, he had been acting odd as of late anyways.

She was sitting in the den, reading, when she decided to make plans with Meg for lunch, and just as she ended the call, her phone rang. She looked at the Caller ID, but it was a number she didn't know. Shrugging, Christine decided to answer it.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Christine Daae?"

She smiled. "Raoul? How did you get my number?"

"I, uh, asked your friend … sorry, that sounds really stalker-ish." He said awkwardly.

"A little. But it's fine. I was going to call you, but I must have lost your number or something." Christine replied.

"So how have things been going for you?"

"Well … not that good … but I'm not going to get into it right now. Yourself?" Christine said.

"I've been good … a little busier than I would like, but good. I was thinking … would you like to have lunch … or something … sometime?" Raoul said.

"Well, I already have plans today, but maybe late-" Christine began, only to be interrupted when the phone was yanked violently out of her hand. She turned around to see Erik standing right behind her. Immediately backed away a couple of steps, she watched as Erik just turned away from her and threw the phone against the wall.

"Erik! What the hell?" Christine hissed. "How long have you been there?"

"What's the matter Christine? You don't like being caught in your lies?" Erik growled.

"What do you mean? I haven't lied … you haven't even been around for me to lie to!" Christine yelled.

_"Silence!" _He roared. "You did lie! You told me the _boy _was just a friend!" He ran a hand through his hair, and smiled menacingly at her. "I really don't know what you see in him, my dear! Everyone knows that an honorable man wouldn't ask out another man's woman."

"Is that how you think of me? As a possession?" Christine asked, outraged.

"Of course not, my child. You are much more than that … but you are still _mine." _He said, grabbing her arm tightly to prevent her backing up any further.

"Let go of me, Erik." Christine said, feeling a mixture of anger and fear. Erik said nothing, tightening his grip to the point where Christine knew that it would leave bruises. She opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment Meg arrived and rang the door bell. Erik looked to the door, then back to Christine. His grip loosened and Christine yanked her arm out of his grasp. She walked to the door before turning back to him, satisfied that he made no move after her.

"I'm leaving Erik." Christine said, not sure how lucid he was at the current point.

"No. Christine is not leaving Erik. She will come back." Erik said, looking at the floor.

"Not until you sort out whatever is wrong with you … I can not be here with you like this." Christine said, little emotion in her voice. She then opened the door and walked out, not saying a word to Meg as they drove away.

It wasn't until the car arrived at Meg's apartment that Christine allowed herself to start crying.

* * *

Meg helped Christine up the steps to the her apartment and onto the couch. Meg said nothing and let the girl cry her eyes out, waiting patiently for her to compose herself enough to talk. She eventually did, doing her best to explain what had happened.

After about an hour of this, Christine grew too tired, and even though it was early afternoon, she fell asleep as soon as Meg showed her the guest room.

* * *

An awful headache greeted Christine when she awoke the next morning. The fact that she had slept that long would have surprised her, but she really couldn't care at this point in time.

She shuffled into the kitchen and saw Meg sitting there, eating cereal. "Well, good morning, sunshine."

"Ugh … Aspirin. Now." Christine said, clutching her forehead.

"Bathroom counter." Meg said. Christine padded down the hall, and she heard Meg call, "You're welcome!"

Two Aspirin, a couple cups of coffee, and a couple hours later, the two girls sat in the living room.

"So … how long are you planning on staying here? And I don't mean that in a 'please leave' kind of way." Meg said, smiling at her.

Christine sighed. "I don't know … I'm not going to completely dump Erik … I still love him … it's just … I don't know." She looked at the floor, contemplating. "What day is today?"

"Uh …" Meg looked at the calender. "The 15th."

"Really? Are … you sure?" Christine said, eyes widening.

"Yes … why?" Meg asked.

"That means … it's Erik and my anniversary … maybe that's why he's like this … oh my God. It's our anniversary and I left him all alone!" Christine exclaimed, standing up. "I need to go see him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I don't think I'll stay … but I can't leave him alone like this today … I'm not that cruel." Christine said, feeling extremely guilty.

Meg looked her up and down, as if trying to judge something. "I'll drive you."

* * *

The house servants seemed quite surprised to see her. Nevertheless, they immediately answered when she asked.

Christine walked quickly up the stairs and up to the music room. She hesitated when no music could be heard ... in fact, nothing could. Not even a pen scribbling. She grew worried and pushed the door open, gasping at what she saw.

Erik was lying on the floor, barely moving. One of his sleeves was rolled up, some blood seeping from a small wound on the inside of his elbow. Christine desperately looked around, trying to see what was caused this.

There was a single syringe lying on the floor next to him.


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note:** I only thought it fair I give a quick update, considering the cliff hanger. I don't think I'm very good at death scenes, unfortunately. I'm also not completely sure about the process the police have when something like this happens … so just bear with me, I guess. And Nadir makes more of a cameo appearance in this chapter … I'm not sure if he will show up again or not.

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**Chapter Five**

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For a couple of seconds, Christine just stood there, frozen. Her eyes were wide as she stared down at him. She unconsciously took a step forward into the room, and Erik opened his eyes slightly, moving the tiniest bit. The situation finally hit her, and she raced forward to him.

"Oh God, Erik," she exclaimed, kneeling down next to him. She desperately tried to remember what she had learned in her CPR class … but she couldn't. It seemed like that class was years ago and Christine was in to much shock for her mind to even be working properly. All she could think of was to turn him on his side. Grasping his shoulders she dragged him closer to herself and did just that.

Shakily, she pressed two fingers to his neck, finding his pulse still there. The contact seemed to rouse him and Christine leaned very close so that her ear was almost touching his chest. She heard his heart beating and his chest rose and he let out a shaky breath. She felt him grab her left hand fiercely and she pulled back. Her eyes were still impossibly wide as she stared into his face.

"Christine …" Erik whispered. Tears that she had been holding back fell freely down her cheeks. She intertwined her hand with Erik's, still unable and unsure of what to do. Footsteps down the hallway reminded her of the fact that there were other people in the house.

"Oh, God! Someone, help! PLEASE, HELP!" Christine screamed as hard as she could, sending a couple of the house servants running to the room. "Please, one of you, call an ambulance!" She looked back down at Erik as one of the girls ran for a phone.

"C-Christine ..." Erik once again breathed. He just said her name over and over again as tightened his grip on her hand.

"Erik … oh, Erik … God, no!" Her tears dripped onto his face and mixed with his own. "Please, don't leave me … I love you!" She cried desperately.

"I will _never _leave you, Christine." He said the words vehemently, but a lot of the edge was taken out by the way his voice quavered. He began shaking violently, and his breathing became even more labored and short. A second later Louis ran in and pushed Christine away from Erik. Christine understood the necessity of the action, and tried to get out of the way, but Erik would not relinquish his grip from her left hand. She hated to do so, but she yanked her hand out of his grasp. Her engagement ring came off in his hand as she did so, though she did not notice. His face changed into a pained grimace, and his hand closed around the ring. Louis worked frantically around the man, though there was little he could do.

"_Please, _Erik, I can't lose you." She whispered to him, though she wasn't sure he could even hear her.

"I-I love you … Christine." His voice no longer sounded to be his own, and she knew he was dying. His breathing grew irregular until he just stopped breathing all together. Louis tried his best to save him, but in the end, there was nothing he could do. There was nothing anyone could do.

Christine collapsed onto the floor, sobbing hysterically.

* * *

Christine was sitting in a chair in the doctor's office. Her gaze flickered to the desk where a black name plate sat. _Dr. Nadir Khan. _She surely didn't recognize that name, but apparently this was the doctor that Erik always asked for by name.

She was not sure of the time; it was late evening or the middle of the night. All she knew was that it was dark outside.

A door behind her opened and Christine didn't even turn around. A man with dark brown skin, hair, and eyes walked around to the other side of the desk, holding a clip board. He sighed and Christine raised her head just barely to meet his eyes.

"Miss Daae," he said, his voice low and quiet. "There really was nothing we could do, other than finding the cause of death." She said nothing and he took it as a sign to continue. "He overdosed on morphine. An overdose of that causes respiratory depression, and he asphyxiated ..." Christine, who was still barely able to process things at this point, merely looked at the ground. "It could have been a suicide, though we are not sure. The dose was rather high, but he had not taken any morphine prior to this for a couple months … he may have taken too large a dose on accident."

Christine looked up at him slightly shocked. _Erik had been taking drugs? How could I not have known … oh God … this is my fault! _Tears once again pricked at her eyes, and she tried to blink them back. Nadir moved forward and put his hand on Christine's shoulder.

"Miss Daae … I-I knew Erik personally … he was an old friend, so you can believe me when I say that I am truly sorry for your loss." She looked up at him, slightly surprised. "Do you have anywhere to stay?"

"I can stay with my friend Meg." She said quietly.

"That will be for the best. Get some rest, Christine. The hospital will contact you tomorrow with more information."

* * *

**Post Script: **Yes, Erik is dead. But I assure you, this is really only the beginning of this story. Christine is kind of emotionally drained and in shock by the end of the chapter, so that's why she's so muted.


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note:** It's been a while, hmm? I guess something good can come out of a bad day ...

Raoul seems a little ... off in this chapter, for some reason, but oh well. Things are certainly starting to pick up, and I should be able to start updating regularly again. Sorry for the evil cliff hanger ... I just had to.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Christine sat by the window, staring blankly into the grey, rainy streets outside. She didn't even know what day it is. Meg had immediately taken her to her apartment, and she just laid in bed, unthinking, until sleep finally took over. When she had woken up Meg was gone and the house was empty. She had nothing to do and no energy to do so, so she sat near the window and just stared.

A door opened up behind her, and she heard footsteps coming up behind her. Christine made no move to greet whoever was there, and nor did she jump when a hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"Christine?" Meg asked, bending over her, brows knitted together, "how are you, honey? When did you wake up? Have you eaten anything?"

The mere thought of food made bile rise up into her throat, and she shook her head without even looking up.

"I think that maybe you should go back to sleep ..." Meg said worriedly, standing and helping Christine stand up. She led Christine back to her bedroom.

"I-I … uh … sleep well, Christine ..." She said, walking out of the room and shutting the door.

Christine did not.

* * *

It was about a day before Christine would even speak. But slowly, with Meg's help, she gained herself back little by little.

She and Meg sat in the living room. Meg was reading a book, or at least pretending to, while Christine sat in her usual spot by the window. It was still grey and dim, and the forecast called for thunderstorms all week.

An electronic phone ring broke through the heavy silence around the two and Christine flinched. Meg jumped up and grabbed the phone, before sighing and handing it to Christine. She looked at the Caller ID before answering. It was the funeral home. She had wondered why they hadn't called.

"Uh … h-hello? Ms. Daae? We were told we could contact you here." The voice on the other end of the line said, hesitantly.

"Yes?" She replied, her voice blank.

"Uh, yes … we have some b-bad news, Ms. Daae ..." The man said.

"W-what?" A hint of emotion crept into her voice.

"We may have … uh … y-your fiance's body is … missing ..."

"What? … H-how?" She exclaimed.

"I-I … we don't … exactly … know … This has never happened before! We called the hospital too, but they don't know either … but … your fiance was a powerful man, right?"

"Y-yes, I guess ..."

"We think that some … gang or a group of criminals or something may have stolen his body … as a show of power, you see ..."

There was a large clatter as Christine dropped the phone, tears streaming down her face as she allowed herself to feel emotion for the first time since Erik died. Unthinking, she just ran out of the house and past Meg, not stopping to explain. She just ran out to the sidewalk, wanting nothing more than to run into Erik's arms …

Erik's house would have to do.

It started pouring rain, and Christine just kept running in the general direction of Erik's house, no other thought in her mind than to just get there.

She ran straight into a solid object, that turned out to be a person. Raoul, specifically.

"Oh my God, Christine … are you okay?" He said, pulling back and brushing her wet hair out of her face. "I-I heard about Erik … what are you doing out here?"

"I-I … I need to go to Erik's house ..." She said, looking at the ground.

"Do you need a ride?" She shook her head no. "Well … a-at least take my coat … It's freezing out here … are you sure you are fine by yourself?" She nodded and accepted the jacket that he handed her. "I-I … if you ever need someone, be sure to call me … it's going to be alright." Without thinking, he quickly kissed her forehead before walking away, glancing back at her frequently.

Christine wasted no time in running the rest of the way to Erik's house. It was completely empty, devoid of servants and occupants. However, Christine still had her key and she quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open. All of the house's lights were off and the blinds were closed, so Christine had to feel her way to the light switch. Lightning stuck and was followed by loud thunder that felt like it rattled her bones.

The house looked exactly how she had left it. But she didn't care about the living room, she needed to see the upstairs …

Walking down the hallway, she shuddered as she passed the library, and swallowed hard as memories came up. Fresh tears fell down her face and she ran the rest of the way to her bedroom, plopping down on the bed just another beam of lightning struck. She heard a noise behind her as her door shut and she flipped around to see a black silhouette standing a few feet away from her.

"Hello, Christine," Erik's voice greeted her, "why are you crying?"


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note:** I just had to update soon after such an evil cliff hanger. This is probably my favorite chapter from this story, so it'd be nice if you could review and give me some feedback.

Oh, and warning all you guys: I'm pretty sure the rating is going to go up, considering Erik is a violent, morbid person in the story. Ghosts tend to be like that. But just to let you know, it's going to get more violent from here on out. Also, Erik has mood swings like it's his job in this chapter. Please forgive that. Thanks to PHLover213 for the help with this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Christine floundered for words as she desperately tried to understand the situation. "I-I … E-Erik?"

She recognized his voice immediately, she knew that no matter where she was she would have recognized his beautiful voice ... but he seemed so _different._ He seemed much thinner and maybe even taller ... he blended into the shadows so well it was hard to tell he was even there, and yet, at the same time his presence just couldn't be ignored.

Not to mention the fact that he was supposed to be dead.

"Yes?" He said, nonchalantly.

"But … I … you're d-dead ..." Christine said, her tears threatening to flow again. He _had _to be dead. She had seen it happen ... she had seen his lifeless body laying on the floor of the very library where they had spent so much time together. But ... then what was going here? Who was this?

He paused for a second, and he turned his face towards her. She could swear that his eyes were glowing yellow-gold in the dim lighting. He looked into her eyes and said, "Yes."

Christine squeaked and scrambled farther back on the bed. "H-how?" _This can't be possible! He says he's dead, but he's standing right in front of me!_

He ignored her question and stepped closer, into the pool of gray light. She could see that he was clothed entirely in black, and he even wore a black mask that covered his entire face. _Why would he hide his face? At least in life, he had been so handsome ..._ "Silly girl, you should know that Erik wouldn't let death get between us!" he said, chuckling darkly, his voice being manipulated in a way she had never heard before. She did not like it.

"I-I … w-why are you wearing a m-mask?" She asked, staring into the black fabric that covered his face.

He froze for a second and glared at her, his yellow eyes blazed with so much emotion it hardly seemed human. "There is always a price to pay when coming back to this world, my love." He paused and gestured at his mask. "I paid mine." _Back to this world? What does he mean? ..._

Christine moved closer and reached out to take off his mask. This had to be a dream, a joke, a hallucination, something! This _couldn't _really be happening! Erik was dead, and ghosts didn't exist!

Erik growled and grabbed both her wrists fiercely, pulling her closer to him. "You want to _see _the face of death, my darling? I did, and now I _have _the face of death!" And with that, he laughed evilly, and Christine started to cry. He became more gentle and moved his grip to her hands, pulling her against his chest and holding her. His hands were freezing, causing Christine to shudder horribly. "Shhh, darling, it's alright. You love me, so my face shouldn't matter, hmm?"

Christine sobbed and nodded and Erik began stroking her hair calmly. Her head was against his chest and she couldn't hear a heartbeat or feel his chest rising and falling. "P-please, I don't understand ..." She whispered. This was far beyond her comprehension. Didn't stories say that ghosts couldn't touch? So then what was going on? _What _was Erik?

"Oh yes, Christine always was a good little Catholic girl, wasn't she?" He mocked, making Christine feel ashamed, of all things. "Are you sad? Disappointed that Erik isn't gone forever?" He hissed, tightening his hold on her.

"N-No! Of course not!" She said, struggling to be able to look up at him. She wanted Erik back more than anything ... as much as she hated herself for it, she wanted him back more than she wanted her father back ... but this wasn't Erik! It couldn't be him! It was some cruel joke, a monster come back with her fiancé's likeness ...

He sighed and looked away. "You are right. Of course Christine is confused. Erik is over reacting." He looked down at her small, trembling form and his eyes narrowed. "Or perhaps not!" He pushed her roughly away from him and back onto the bed. His eyes seemed to burn holes through the darkness. She wondered how she could have displeased him until she looked down at herself and saw that she was still had Raoul's coat on. "How long have you been seeing the _boy,_ hmm? Couldn't even wait a week out of respect for the dead?" He demanded, enraged. It seemed his had kept his jealous nature. Christine shuddered.

"N-No! It's not like that! I-I just ran into him on the w-way here!" She cried, moving as far away from him as she could.

"Oh? Is that so? Well, perhaps Erik should go and visit him!" Christine held back a cry of fear. "You obviously stop caring about others once they are dead!" He shouted, angry and desperate, leaning over her threateningly and putting an arm on either side of her head, pinning her to the bed.

"N-no, please!" She sobbed. This couldn't be her Erik! He would never hurt anyone! Besides, Raoul should have no part in this! She had spoken to him a few times at most!

Just then, a noise of the front door opening and slamming came from downstairs.

"Christine? You here?" Meg shouted up the stairs.

Erik looked at the door, and rose up off the bed calmly. Christine grabbed his sleeve and cried. "No, don't." Despite how he treated her, she couldn't lose him again. She couldn't be left alone even if it the only other option was this terrible, monstrous version of Erik ...

He paused for a second before looking into her eyes and saying, "I will see you soon."

With that he disappeared into thin air, leaving Christine to be found in a disheveled mess by Meg.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note: **So, Erik gets a little murder-y in this chapter. I'm not sure if I should change the rating or not, so tell me what you think. This chapter is a little choppy, so sorry about that. Archie Duskdale is a bit of an inside joke. Also, it's late and I didn't spend much time proof reading, so sorry for any mistakes.

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

Meg stepped into the dark room to find Christine crying and huddled in a ball. She rushed forward and gently grabbed her arms, sitting her up. "Christine?"

She looked at Meg but at the same time didn't even seem to notice she was there. "I-I … E-Erik … he … and …" Christine babbled on until she trailed off, and fresh tears pricking at her eyes.

"Erik? … He's gone, Christine …" Meg said, trying to reassure her.

"I-I …" Something changed in Christine's eyes. "Yes … h-he is."

Meg's brow furrowed as she stood her up. "Well … let's get you home, okay?" Christine just nodded.

* * *

Hours later Christine lay in her bed at Meg's house, unable to think, unable to comprehend what happened. She must have hallucinated … that couldn't have happened. Erik was gone. Erik _is _gone.

The sun had gone down and had come up once again and she could see bruises forming on her wrists where Erik had grabbed her … or whatever had happened. She shuddered, remembering how cold his hands had been and that his heart hadn't been beating … Christine wasn't a superstitious person, but what else could explain this? Unless she had gone insane …

Come to think of it, that sounded very probable.

She sat up and ran her hands through her hair, trying to pull herself together. _I'm grieving, I'm tired, and I'm upset. I must have hallucinated or fell asleep or something. It did not happen. It did not happen. _She felt sick and she realized she had not eaten in quite some time. Standing, she rubbed at the tears on her face and willed herself to calm down. Erik was dead, and that was it. She had to keep saying that or doubt would take place in her mind.

The phone rang as she stood, and the door opened right as she walked to it. Meg walked in a stopped abruptly when she saw Christine was up. "Oh … I … I didn't know you were awake." She looked her up and down. "I … It's for you. It's Erik's lawyer, I think." Christine nodded and mumbled thanks and took the phone from her.

"Hello, Ms. Daae? This is Mr. Baines. I was your fiance's lawyer. We need to schedule a time to read his will. Would tomorrow at 2 o'clock be fine for you?"

"I … sure, that should be fine ..." She said quietly.

"Okay. Also, I heard that the funeral home … lost his body. Would you like to sue for emotional compensation?"

"No." Christine said immediately, the thought of Erik's corpse bringing up bad memories.

"No?" He sounded shocked. Perhaps he was used to greedy clients that tried to milk every dollar they could out of a loved one's death.

"No, it's fine." She said, sighing.

"Well then … I will see you tomorrow, Ms. Daae." With that he ended the call. Christine set the phone back down on the bedside table, and curled up in a ball on her bed.

* * *

She woke up the next day, under the covers, neatly tucked in, far from how she had fallen asleep. Her hair had been up in a ponytail when she went to sleep but it was now down. The hair tie sat on her bedside table next to a scrap of paper. She picked it up and read it over quickly.

_ "It's all for you, Christine."_

Christine knew immediately who it was from but she refused to believe it. She ripped the note into pieces and threw it into the trash before running out of the room.

* * *

She arrived at Mr. Baine's office ten minutes before hand. As cruel as it felt to think, she wanted to get this over with. Maybe she could finally see that Erik was dead, finally dead and her poor, sick mind would stop imagining him everywhere.

The secretary told her to just go into the conference room, as he was already there. When she did, three men were already waiting. The first of them stood, running a hand through his balding brown hair.

"Ms. Daae. Hello, I'm Mr. Baine." He stood and guided her to her chair. Before she could ask who the others were, Mr. Baine introduced them. "This is Archie Duskdale and his lawyer."

"Duskdale?" Christine asked.

"It's Erik's mother's maiden name. I am her brother and therefore Erik's uncle and one of his only living relatives in the area." He said this without any emotion in his voice and Christine decided immediately she did not like him. Erik never talked about his family but she had her suspicions and they were not good.

"Well," Mr Baines said, "As it is, the will leaves everything to Ms. Christine Daae."

"Yes, about that ..." Archie's lawyer began, "as Ms. Daae was never actually married to Mr. Garnier, the will is invalid and the whole of his estate would go to my client, Mr. Duskdale."

Christine looked slightly appalled. "You'd just completely ignore his wishes like that?"

Archie chuckled. "You think this is about his wishes? Oh, my dear, it's always about the money!"

Christine stood from the table angrily. "You know what? You can have his freaking money, it doesn't even matter anyways!" With that she walked angrily out of the house, tears beginning to stream down her face.

* * *

A couple hours later, Christine and Meg sat together, Christine willing herself not to cry. The phone rang, and Christine brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. Meg sighed sadly and picked up the phone. Her eyes widened and she handed the phone to Christine.

"I-It's the lawyer guy again …" She said.

Christine took the phone from Meg and made her tone as blank as she could. "Hello?"

"Hello. Uh, Mr. Duskdale says that he is sorry for how insensitive he was earlier and decided he is willing to negotiate a compromise. Can you come down soon?" The voice of Mr. Baine came through the other end.

"I … uh … sure." It seemed like a large change of character, but she had met the man once, perhaps she shouldn't have judged him.

"Great. See you then, goodbye." Something seemed different about Mr. Baine's voice … his tone, or something was slightly off. Christine shrugged it off and left the house.

* * *

When she got there, the secretary said that Mr. Baines had just gone out, but Christine tried to think nothing of it. She went to wait in the conference room like before and found it dark and empty. A black shadow was cast on the wall, and it wasn't until she flipped on the light that she saw it was the silhouette of a person.

The body of Archie Duskdale swung from noose pulled taught, and yet that wasn't the cause of death. The obvious cause of death was the bloody gaping hole in his chest where his heart should be. Christine screamed until she couldn't hear herself anymore, and stumbled back, falling unto a piece of paper that crinkled under her. She turned around and retched, while people opened the door to see what was going on. Christine collapsed on the ground with the note right in front of her. The last thing she saw before was the spidery lettering she knew as Erik's handwriting before she passed out.

_"It all goes to her, not this heartless bastard." _


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note: **So, this Christmas certainly hasn't been good to me, I certainly hope your holidays have been better than mine. Well, at least something good is born out of a bad mood, it certainly helped with writing this chapter. Erik is a creepy, oblivious jerk. That is how it will remain. Please review.

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

When Christine gained consciousness once more she was surrounded by people. Paramedics, policemen, and random people that worked at the office. Christine whimpered and curled up into a ball, the bright light and all the people around her was too much. She could comprehend what was even going on, she needed to be alone.

_No, not alone. _She thought, trying to block out everyone else. _Erik will be there … not alone, not alone ... _

"Miss?" One of the paramedics said sitting her up gently. "How are you feeling?"

She shook her head and tears slipped out. Scooting away from all the people she hugged her legs to her chest.

The man frowned and asked, talking very slowly and calmly, "Miss, do you have an emergency contact or something of that sort?"

Christine nodded and sobbed and took her cell phone out of her pocket, scrolled quickly through the directory until she got to Meg. She handed the phone to the man and he stood to go make the call. Police officers tried to clear the area of civilians and a younger officer came to stand near to Christine.

"Now, Ma'am, I know you're very confused at this point, but we would appreciate if you could tell us something about this." He said.

She whimpered and shook her head. An older policeman came up to the younger one, and put a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. The two of them walked away and left her alone. Christine buried her face into her knees and the next time she looked up Meg was there. Her brow furrowed as she could not have possibly gotten there that fast, but when she looked up at the clock she saw that it had been about a half hour.

Meg was talking to the older police officer and one of the paramedics, her brow was creased with worry and she had bags under her eyes. Christine immediately felt guilty about how much stress and worry made Meg go through.

She finished talking to them and went over to Christine and helped her up. "I'm so sorry, Christine."

"F-For what?" It was the first words Christine had spoken since she regained consciousness.

"I … I don't know, I'm just so sorry." With that they went home.

* * *

It was late when they arrived back at Meg's apartment, but Christine knew she couldn't sleep. She didn't want to be alone. So when Meg suggested that she go to sleep Christine begged her not to leave.

"Of course." She said.

Christine then tried to busy herself, choosing movies to watch and other activities, trying to act as if this was a fun night they had planned for weeks in advance. She plastered a fake smile on her face, hoping to maybe make Meg feel better, but it only seemed to increase her concern. The night wore on as Christine tried futilely to distract herself and ignore her situation. She almost felt like Erik was there the entire time, his presence was smothering her, but she tried her best to brush it off and ignore it.

But Erik would not be ignored.

When Meg went to the bathroom, he appeared out of no where. He was behind her and his hand was over her mouth before she could scream. He brushed her hair with his hand and spoke. "Shhh, darling, no need to hurt your voice..."

She just tried to sit there still and be as quiet as she could.

"There, my lovely girl, see? It's fine..." He lifted his hand off her mouth and moved so that he was standing in front of her. She was crying as quietly as she could, she was afraid she would endanger Meg if she were to overhear them. Erik merely took cupped her face with one hand and wiped her tears away with the other, murmuring something she couldn't exactly hear.

Christine could hear the bathroom door open down the hall. Erik's glowing eyes narrowed and he let go of her face.

"She is keeping you from me." He hissed quietly.

"N-No, Erik, please no!" She whispered frantically. "I-I'll … I'll talk to you, just don't hurt her or anything..."

He nodded once and disappeared once more. Meg walked into the room, confused as to why Christine had begun crying once more. "A-Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah … I-I'm just tired … I-I think I'll go to bed ..." Before Meg could respond she ran into her room and shut the door.

Once again, Erik appeared. He seemed delighted and opened his arms for her. She shook her head and backed away. He tilted his head to the side, confused and concern was evident in his voice. "What is wrong, dearest?"

"H-How can you even a-ask that? … Y-You killed someone!" She whispered, shaking.

"He deserved to die. He tried to take away what was rightfully yours, what I had given to you." His beautiful voice was almost devoid of emotion.

"T-That's no reason to k-kill someone!" She exclaimed. "B-Besides, this never would have had to happen if you didn't kill yourself! Y-You left me …"

Erik seemed shocked at this, moved quickly over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "No, darling, Erik would never leave you. He didn't mean to kill himself, he swears. He was just so angry … Erik did not mean to leave you, please believe that ..." She tried to push him away feebly, crying. She didn't have the energy to fight anymore and she just sagged in his arms, sobbing. He carried her over to her bed and tucked her in. "Erik will never leave you ever again. He promises."

With that she fell asleep.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note:** I think this chapter might necessitate a higher rating. Also, my past and present tense got all messed up here, please forgive that. I really like this chapter, I think it's probably one of the best. I'd looooove reviews~

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

Christine woke later in the early afternoon. The sun shone in through the window over her bed, illuminating the room. She got up from her bed and shuffled into the hall way to the bathroom, spending a minute just staring into the mirror. Her hair was a mess and there were sleepless bags under her eyes. Her face was stiff with tears. She sighed and leaned down, splashing water on her face and rubbing her eyes. She looked back up into the mirror and plastered a smile onto her face, trying to see if it looked believable. Closing her eyes, she sighed and decided it would have to do.

She exited the bathroom cautiously looking up and down the hall way. She snuck back into her room and quickly changed clothes. She realized she was running out of supplies here, but she didn't like the thought of going back to Erik's house for her stuff. She sat on the bed and put her head in her hands as images of the previous night flood back into her mind.

_How is this possible? _She thinks, _T-This can't be happening, it just can't be. But it is. I've seen him, I've felt him, I've heard him … I-I've witnessed what he can do … _She shuddered. _It's a dream … no, a nightmare. He says he's Erik, but he wears that mask. He has his voice … but it must be some sort of an illusion. _An idea comes to her head before she can stop it._ If I take off his mask, maybe he'll disappear. This monstrous version of him will disappear and I'll be left with the memories of my loving, kind Erik... _

She had to stop for a second and think about that. Does she really want this Erik gone? He was a far cry from her fiance, but he was there and could _always _be there. She realizes she still loves Erik, even this Erik, as frighting as he is. _I need to do this, I need to do this. _She reassures herself.

Standing up, Christine takes a deep breath, trying to collect herself. She puts on a fake smile and makes her way out into the living room. "Hey, Meg." She said as nonchalantly as she can.

"Um … hello." Meg said, standing up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good … um … listen, I'm kinda running out of stuff to wear … could you drop me off at … the old house so I can grab some stuff?" She asked.

"Sure ..." Meg said, concerned. "We can go after you eat lunch."

"I-I'm not hungry …" She commented.

"Christine, you haven't been eating enough, you really must..." Meg said.

Christine agrees to eat and makes a sandwich quickly, her mind on other things. They get into Meg's car and she takes her to Erik's house. Meg says that she has to go to the store to get a few things but that Christine can call when she's done. Christine simply nods and head into the dark house. She knew she couldn't tell Meg her true reason for wanting to come there, she would never believe her. And she had put enough stress on Meg as it was.

Christine headed up the stairs, not bothering to turn on the light and makes her way to her old room in the dark. She flips the light switch in her room and grabs a bag, taking some clothes from her closet and stuffing them in, along with other items she wanted to take with her.

The faint sound of music snakes its way to her and she freezes. It seems to get louder with every passing second and her eyes widen as she recognizes the melody. It was a song Erik wrote for her, her favorite song. He would always play it for her. Tears sprung to her eyes as she remembered all the happy times that had revolved around that song. She unwittingly walked out the door and into the hallway. There was a light on in the music room and it spilled into the hallway, almost seeing to draw her closer. She walked into the music room, seeing Erik sitting at the grand piano and playing. She kept walking until she was standing right behind him.

The song finished and he looked up at her. "Hello, Christine." She took a deep breath, and giving him no chance to say anything else gripped the edge of his mask and ripped it off.

He froze and time seemed to stop as he seemingly trying to comprehend the situation and Christine took a few seconds to stare into his horrid face.

She understood now what he meant when he said he had the face of death. His face looked as though it was rotting. His flesh sagged, almost appearing to be falling off his protruding cheek bones. His nose, likewise, seemed to already have fallen off, leaving a black hole in it's place. His eyes were so far back in their sockets that all that was visible was a faint glow in the back of them. Parts of his skin were missing, revealing bone.

As Christine finished processing this she screamed, shaking Erik from his own trance. She scrambled backwards and away from him as he stood from the bench and and kicked it across the room with so much force that it splintered when it hit the wall. Christine screamed again, not as loudly.

Erik advanced on her very quickly and was towering over in a second. She tried to run again but tripped and fell backwards onto the floor, staring up at Erik. He knelt down and leaned over her, grabbing her hair and pulling her closer to him. She gasped in pain but he didn't seem to notice.

_"Christine," _he hissed. "Are you happy, my lovely little fiancee? Are you surprised that your Erik isn't handsome anymore?"

"I-I … I'm sorry!" She cries, struggling beneath him.

"Of course you are, _darling, _you are sorry to have to look at _this." _He says, tightening his grip on her hair.

"P-Please, don't hurt me!" She pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

"Why not, dearest? It would only be a minute of pain, and then an eternity by my side!" He exclaimed, releasing her hair but reached for her neck.

Realizing he intended to kill her she screamed once more and tried to scramble backwards but Erik was too fast and he grabbed her neck and tightened his grip. Christine coughed and sobbed. "P-Please … stop ..." She cried weakly. She clawed at his hands feebly but he only tightened his grip. "Erik ..." She said, just barely able to speak.

Abruptly, he lets go of her throat and she falls back down to the floor, coughing and gulping air. Erik stays where he is, frozen. "C-Christine ..." He whispered. "I-I'm sorry ..." She merely remains on the ground, sobbing. He reaches for her and she flinches. "Please, Christine ..." He scoops her up off the ground and holds her.

"I-I'm sorry!" Christine cries, terrified.

"Shhh, Christine, just sleep ..." He said, beginning to sing. Her eyes close against her will and she falls asleep.

* * *

Christine woke in her bed at Meg's house. She sits up quickly, looking around the room. Her mind goes over what happened and she practically leaps out of bed. She knows now it can't be a dream, especially when she looks into a mirror and sees a ring of bruises on her neck. She runs to the closet and opens it, seeing all the clothes she had picked out hung up neatly. She willed herself not to become hysterical and grabbed a turtle neck sweater to hide the bruises.

She sighs quietly and walks out into the living room, finding Meg sitting in front of the TV.

"When did you get here?" She asked, confused. "You never called for a ride."

"O-Oh … I-I decided to take a cab ..." Christine lies. She sits down on the couch next to Meg.

"Oh, Christine, you have to see this news story, it's so creepy!" She exclaimed, changing the channel.

_"A myriad of murder victims have shown up on our streets in just a couple hours. All of them have been killed in different, brutal ways but one thing connects them and makes the police suspect a serial killer is on the loose: each of the bodies have a name carved into the torso. Christine."_

The reporter finishes the story but after that Christine can't hear anything but the sound of her heart beat. The room spins and she gets up and runs to the bathroom before throwing up.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note:** It's been a looooong while since I last saw you folks. I'm finally back with a new chapter~ And hopefully with more coming, too! My freshman year of High School is done and over with, so now I got looooads of free time. :D Also, I increased the rating for this story because, well ... you'll see.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

Christine sobbed and raised her head from the toilet. Meg sits beside her, holding her hair.

"I'm so sorry, Christine, I should have known it'd upset you … I-I just found it interesting ..." Meg said apologetically.

"I-It's okay ..." Christine said, wiping her mouth. "I-It wasn't the new cast, it was … my stomach was just upset ..." She closed her eyes. _I need to get out of here._"I-I think some fresh air would do me good. I'm … I'm going to take a walk."

Meg's brow furrowed. "A walk?" She asked. "You sure?"

"Yeah. I just need to clear my head." Christine said as she stood. She walked to the counter, grabbing her purse. A business card fell out of it, and she picked it up, examining it. The card said _Raoul de Chagny _and displayed his number and address. She decided to go and see him, needing something to take her mind off of the grim affairs. She smiled lightly, her thoughts drifting away from the fear and panic that had become normal to her. It wasn't until she went to the bathroom to check her appearance that it hit her once more.

She closed the bathroom door, and looked into the mirror. She nearly screamed when she saw that not only was her reflection showing in the mirror, but Erik's as well. She spun around, trying to look for him, but he was no where to be found. When she turned back to the mirror, his reflection was gone as well. She leaned against the counter, her breathing heavy. _It's just my imagination, just my imagination... _Something black was visible in the corner of her eye. _Just my imagination-_

"Hello, Christine." Erik's voice said from behind her.

She scrambled away from him, tears once again forming in her eyes. "G-Get away from me!" She backed up against the door, cowering.

He was calm, too calm, and he picked up the business card from the table. He looked at it for a moment and sneered. "You're going to see the boy? Do you think you can run, Christine?" He stepped closer to her and she whimpered. "Do you think you can hide?"

"I-I have to try! Y-You killed people … You've hurt so many ..." She closed her eyes tightly as he moved so his masked face was mere inches from her own.

He laughed and put a hand on either side of her head. "Yes, I have. So do you really think this is a good idea? Christine, I will kill _anyone _that gets in my way. I will hurt anyone as long as it means that I can be with you. I will follow you for as long as it takes. Don't ever underestimate my love, dearest." He said. "I will even kill you eventually." He moved his finger across her throat, half gentle, half threatening. She sobbed, and he quickly hushed her. "There's no need to be afraid though, Christine, just agree to it … It doesn't have to hurt … And then we can be together, forever..." He finished his sentence by burying his face in her hair and inhaling.

She sobbed once more, and pushed against his shoulders. "N-No ..." She said quietly, lower than a whisper. "No." She said with more force, and began struggling. Erik drew back. "I don't want to be with you!" She exclaimed. He flinched, almost physically hurt by her statement. "I hate you!" She yelled. Immediately, he was gone. The paper he had been holding fluttered to the ground.

Christine slid down the door, breathing heavily. She ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes thinking. _He's gone … He's really gone … _She managed to get her breathing back to normal and shakily getting to her feet. She scooped up Raoul's business card and put it in her purse, determined more than ever now.

* * *

She got off the bus, looking all around her, looking for Erik. She was relieved that she never found him, and began to think that he was truly gone. She found Raoul's house, and rang the doorbell. Raoul himself answered it. "Christine, hello!" He ushered her in. "To what do I owe this lovely visit?" He says, smiling.

She smiles back. "No particular reason. I just was around and thought it'd be nice to catch up."

"It is nice," he says, leading her to a couch. The two talked for a while, of new and old things, eventually he leaves the room for a moment to get drinks.

"You know, I always had a big crush on you when we were little ..." She said, smiling.

He placed his hand over her hand, and smiled back. "I still have a big crush on you." He said, moving closer and making as if to kiss her. Christine leaned closer to him, but pulled away just before their lips met. "Oh, I'm sorry Christine, I-I shouldn't have ..."

She turned away. "No, it's alright … I-I'm just … It's okay." He put his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it slightly. She smiled at him again.

"Perhaps you should be getting home, it's late." He said. She smiled and nodded, standing up.

"You're right, I'll get going." She said, putting on her coat and heading out the door.

She walked for a while in the cool evening air, her mind free of fear and dark thoughts. It was almost as if that episode of her life had been erased and she was living well. She, foolishly believed it would last.

Small droplets of blood littered the sidewalk, turning into puddles as she walked on, and leading into an alleyway. Her breathing heavy, she decided to follow them, realizing Erik intended for her to find this.

In the alley way, there was a young couple, their blond hair matted with blood, throats slit and bodies mutilated in ways she didn't want to think about. They had been placed in each other's arms, as they most certainly had not died like that. A scream caught in her throat as she realized, _they're supposed to be Raoul and I … _She looked up, and saw that something was written in blood on the wall …

_You've disobeyed me, Christine._

She released the scream that had been stuck in her throat, and ran out of the alleyway.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, isn't it weird that I'm actually updating regularly? Wow, I know. Well, I'm almost sad to say that I think this story is very close to being done. It's a short story, but I find that whenever I try to elongate a story I end up filling it with pointless filler. So I think it's better being short, I'm proud of this story. Probably a couple more chapters till the end.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

Hours later, Christine lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She hadn't gone to the police, she knew it would just raise questions that she couldn't possibly answer without her sanity being questions. She wasn't even sure if she believed herself. "Am I crazy?" She asked herself. She was sure of nothing.

To say that she was frightened out of her mind would be an enormous understatement. A kitchen knife sat next to her on the bedside table, more for emotional comfort than actual protection, she didn't even know if Erik could be harmed. She cowered from the very air, knowing Erik could be anywhere and could appear at anytime. She closed her eyes tightly, wishing that when she opened them she would be back at Erik's house, with him still alive and the whole thing would be an odd story to tell.

Back when Erik was alive, she never would have believed that he would hurt her, let alone kill her, but she knew that he would – he had tried it once before and the bodies lying in the alley-way were proof enough for her.

The images came back to her head and she squeezed her eyes shut tight. She hugged her knees to her chest and whimpered.

_"Christine ..." _She heard _him _say, and she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. _Go away go away please, please go away …_

A hand brushed her hair back and her eyes snapped open. Quickly, she reached for the knife beside her but Erik managed to grab it first. She gasped and backed away from the bed.

Erik sat on the bed, looking down at the knife, amused. "Really, Christine?" He chuckled darkly. "Silly girl, Erik is already _dead, _what exactly did you think a knife could accomplish?" To prove his point he brought it up to his throat and slashed it open. No blood came and the wound healed almost immediately. He laughed again at the horror he saw written across her face.

"P-Please ..." She whimpered, backing away towards a wall. In an instant he was right in front of her, less than a foot away and still holding the knife. She backed fully against the wall, tears coming to her eyes. "D-Don't hurt me ..."

He stabbed the knife into the wall, to the right of her by a few inches and she screamed. He pinned her to the wall and loosely gripped her neck with his hand. "You are _mine, _Christine. Forever." His grip tightens. "You were … you _are _to be my wife. So why should I not punish you for this _infidelity?" _

"B-Because … I-I'm sorry … please, I'm so sorry ..." She sobbed, tears running down her face as she tried to pull his hands off of her. Her tears seemed to have an immediate effect on Erik, who softened instantly. He took his hand off her neck and used it to wipe away her tears. "P-Please ..." She whimpered.

"Shh …" He said, picking her up and holding her to him. "Erik forgives you and is sorry." He sighed, as if she didn't understand something very basic. "Erik merely wishes to protect the love that he and his Christine share."

She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "I-I'm … s-scared of you ..." She said it quietly, afraid of how he would react. "A-And … I-I … I don't want to die!" She exclaimed and began crying anew.

"I know, darling, I didn't either. But what's done is done, and it is the only way we can be together ..." He said, trying to be comforting.

"Please, please, give me more time … I-I'm not ready yet … please ..." She pulled at his sleeve, urging him to accept her plea. He nodded, and slipped her old engagement ring back onto her wedding finger. She looked up at him, confused.

"I will give you time." Erik commented, thinking out loud. "Yes, Christine is young. Perhaps she needs a while before she is ready to be with Erik." He said it as if he wasn't talking about her upcoming death. "Then she can be happy with Erik and they'll be together for eternity."

He smiled, and put her onto her bed. He removed his mask in order to place a kiss on her forehead, and then her cheek. He ignored the way she squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see his face. "Sleep now, my dearest little Christine." He whispered into her ear, before stepping back and literally fading into the shadows.

Christine was trembling as she moved under the covers and pulled them over her head. _What do I do?_ Her lip quivered and she shut her eyes tight. _He said he'll give me time ... but how much? And that means he'll kill me ... I'd be a ghost like him, stuck with him forever... _She bit her lip and curled into a ball. _Do I still love him? I ... I don't know ... He scares me so much ... But when he's calm like that he reminds me of the sweet Erik I lived with ... it seems so long ago ..._ She gripped the blankets tighter. _I'm sick of being scared ... If I was with Erik, would he be like that? Or like the monster that I've seen more often ... _

Tears slid down her cheeks and stained her pillow. "I want my Erik, the Erik that wouldn't scare me and would hold me if I _was_ scared ... I miss you ..." She sobbed aloud, not caring if Erik heard. She cried until she exhausted herself and fell asleep, curled up in all the blankets and with Erik's name on her lips.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note: **Ah dear, it seems that my muse these days is fleeting. But, I have the rest of the story all worked out so they'll be about two more chapters before this story is finished.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

As the days passed, Christine saw and heard very little from Erik. It seemed he was attempting to keep his promise to her. The little freedom that he had granted her was almost enough to fool herself into thinking he was gone.

Almost. Christine still felt as if there was a black cloud following her, invisible to everyone else. It suffocated her, and she felt like prey running from a hunter, ultimately doomed to fail. Her sleep was filled with nightmares, so she began to abstain from sleep entirely. Even as her health plummeted she forced herself to stay awake to keep the dark images from invading her dreams.

The third night of Christine's endeavor was almost unbearable. She tried to read a book but she could barely keep her eyes open. Lifting herself off of the bed in pursuit of caffine, she jumped as the light of her bedside lamp suddenly went out, and it felt as if the room had become a few degrees colder. She closed her eyes and waited for Erik to appear and demand something from her, threaten or hurt her. That didn't come, and instead she felt cold hands place themselves on the back of her neck and her cheek. She shivered and still didn't open her eyes, even when he picked her up and placed on her bed and under the covers. He ran his hands through her hair.

"Sleep, my love..." He whispered gently in her ear and she complied; grateful for the empty, dreamless sleep she received.

* * *

Christine woke up late into the next day, having caught up on a couple day's rest. She immediately remember the previous night's encounters and brought her hand to her cheek where he had touched her, almost shocked by how gentle he had been. It was the first glimpse of her Erik she had seen in him since his death. It gave her a sense of hope.

Christine exited her room and greeted Meg, who seemed entirely relieved to see that Christine had finally slept and was looking better. Physically, Christine felt much better. The same could not be said for her psychological health. It certainly was not helped when Christine checked her phone, seeing texts from Raoul. She bit her lip, unsure of what to do. She was afraid for him if Erik were to grow jealous, but she couldn't bring herself to hurt Raoul by ignoring him. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, excusing herself and heading to her room.

_Maybe I could reason with him …_ Before she could allow herself time to think through the action, she had spoken. "E-Erik?" There was a small pause in which neither of them said anything. Christine wondered for a moment if he was even there.

He didn't appear to her, but spoke instead. "Yes, my dear?" His voice seemed to fill the entire room, coming from all directions.

She paused for a moment, carefully thinking over her words. "Why won't you allow me to see Raoul?"

The whole room seemed to darken, corresponding to his mood. "You should know why by now, _dearest._ You are mine." His voice seemed to be closer now. "I will not have some boy looking at you and putting his hands on you."

She shook her head. "I don't feel like that for him..."

A growl came from behind her, and she felt his hand clamp down on her shoulder. "I have a hard time believing that, my dear." His grip on her shoulder tightened. "And it does not matter what your intentions are, for I know his are not as platonic." He sighed and let go of her shoulder, taking her hands instead and moving in front of her. He knelt down. "Why must you wish for others? Why can you not be happy with Erik?" He rested his forehead against their joined hands. "If only Christine would stop resisting Erik, all could be as it was..."

She attempted to pull her hands away from his, but he simply tightened his grasp. "I-I don't think it can be... you've hurt so many people and you've scared me so much..."

Erik's sadness seemed to turn to anger in a matter of seconds. As his grip on her hands turned painful, she realized she had made a grave mistake in allowing herself to be lulled into a false sense of security by his previous gentle behavior. Christine winced and tried to pull her hands away again. "Y-You're hurting me..."

Erik ignored her and rose to his full height, towering over her. "It is the boy's fault that Christine no longer loves Erik, isn't it?" His dimly glowing eyes were filled with anger. "He will pay. And once he is gone, Christine can love Erik again and they will be together."

Christine's eyes widened with fear, and she cowered from him. "N-No, Erik, I-I..." _Have I doomed us both?_

Erik said nothing more, and vanished into the air. Christine heard the door lock behind her.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note:** As you can probably guess from the ending of this chapter, we're very very close to the end. Only one more chapter/epilogue to go. Gosh, it feels really weird to be almost finished with a story. Thanks for all the reviews and everything you guys have given me!

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

Christine was frozen for a moment, staring at the door in horror. _Oh God, Erik, what are you doing right now? _She soon shook herself out of her petrified state and ran to her phone. She called Raoul's house over and over, each time receiving no answer. _No no no! Erik don't do this! _She shook her head and now tried Raoul's cell phone, gathering the same results. She dropped her phone and ran over to the door, desperately trying to open it._ Please please please open! _She started banging at the door, cursing the fact that Meg had gone out shopping earlier.

She soon gave up and slid down the door, trying and failing to keep the tears from flowing down her cheeks. She only had one more idea. "E-Erik … please... I-I'm sorry..." She wasn't even sure if he could hear her, but she had to try something. She would not let Raoul die.

The room seemed to fill with his familiar, dark presence. She took a shuddering breath, trying to gain confidence in her words.. "E-Erik?"

His voice was cold and venomous. "What is it that you want?"

"I-I just don't want anyone else to be hurt … please …" She crawled away from the door, looking around the room for the source of the voice.

"Christine should have thought of that before she betrayed Erik!" He nearly shouted.

"I-I'm sorry …" She said in a small voice, almost inaudible. "I-I'll do anything ..."

There was pause, in which the silence was broken only by Christine's sniffles. "Perhaps Erik should give Christine a second chance." He seemed unsure of his words at first, but gained resolve as he continued. "It is time for Christine to make her choice."

Before she could ask what he meant, he was gone, and she heard the small click of the door unlocking. Shakily, she stood to her feet and wondered what she should do next. _What does he want from me? _She took a few steps towards the door without even realizing it. Stopping herself, she put a hand to her forehead and took a deep breath. She was unable to explain the feeling that came over, but it was almost a sort of longing. She felt out of place, as if she didn't belong here. And she knew exactly where she did belong.

* * *

The journey to the house she had once shared with Erik did not take long. Looking up at the house, she realized it seemed so different from when she had lived there. No longer beloved, simply a reminder of the hurt she had experienced in the last couple weeks. Still, her feet brought her closer and closer to the door, almost of their own volition.

As her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness of the house, she became aware of a presence behind her. The door behind her shut just as her eyes finally adjusted, noticing that the figure in front of her was an abused and unconcious Raoul.

She drew in a breath to scream, and started to rush to his side when a hand clamped down on her shoulder and hindered her movement. The scream died in her throat and she turned around and looked up to see the golden glow of Erik's eyes staring down after her. "You came to me." He stated, seeming unsurprised.

She drew in a shaky breath. "I-I did ..." She looked over to Raoul, trying to stop the tears in her eyes. "A-Are you going to kill him?"

He took his hand off of her shoulder, but began circling her like a vulture. "It is a possible outcome of your choice." His voice was emotionless, as if he was stating simple facts, but his eyes burned with emotion.

"And what choice is that?" She tried to keep her voice steady.

He took her hand in his, and knelt in front of her. "Erik _needs_ you, dearest, you must understand. He cannot be without you … it hurts him so when you are not with him …" He held her hand tighter, pulling her closer to him. "And when Erik hurts, others hurt." Christine looked over at Raoul again, her fear rising. He sighed. "But Erik has made the choice for Christine far too many times. It is her turn now."

She looked down at him. "What do you mean?"

He rose to his full height and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "If you decide to stay with Erik … it will mean a few moments of pain, but an eternity of just you and me." He smiled slightly and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "But, Erik will also let you go if you so wish … this will mean an eternity of pain for those around you …" He glaced over to Raoul. "Choose carefully, my dear, for the decision you make is eternal." He let go of her and took a step away. "Either way, Erik will always love you."

Christine's mind was ablaze with emotion, her thoughts all pulling her in different directions. _I cannot let others be hurt because of me … I've been selfish for too long. Just look at what that has got me. Body after body in my name. _She shook her head, knowing it was more than that._ I miss my Erik ...Could it truly be as it was? _She spoke her decision aloud even before she had finished making it, unwilling to give herself time to change her mind. She stepped towards him. "I-I want to be with you ..."

He tilted his head to the side, almost as if he was questioning her decision. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and moved even closer to him, so that they were almost touching. "I-I miss how it was..."

He removed his mask and leaned close to her. "I love you ..." He whispered against her ear, before moving his hands to her neck. He pressed his lips to hers, and at the same moment, closed his hands around her throat. She fought her body's natural reaction to struggle, knowing it to be pointless, and closed her eyes.

She died in his arms.


	15. Chapter Fifteen and Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of Phantom of the Opera. I just use them for my own amusement.

**Summary: **Christine's engagement to Erik is a happy one. He is everything she wants, and yet, he is hiding his dark insanity. This causes an accident that costs Erik his life. But, not even death will keep Erik from what is his. Modern, Dark, Leroux

**Author's Note: **Oh my, it's sort of a bittersweet feeling to finish a story that you've been working on for sometime. It is quite a short story, but that's what I intended it to be. Hopefully the absence of this story will simply make room for new ones to unfold in my brain. Thank you, once again, for all of the reviews I have gotten on this story, they mean a lot.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen / Epilogue**

* * *

Raoul slammed the door coming into his house and threw his coat on the couch, exasperated. He had just sat through another unsuccessful meeting with both the police and a lawyer of his choosing, and it was clear that neither of them were going to do anything for him.

It had been almost two months since the night he lost Christine. All he could really figure out from that night was that _something _had attacked him. And that something had killed Christine. When he woke up, hours after he was assaulted, he saw her body lying there and he felt as if something inside of him had broken. He immediately ran for help, but upon his return the body had dissapeared. The police just contributed it to stress from his attack, and just listed Christine Daae as a missing person, and the random murders that occurred shortly before her dissapearence remained unsolved.

Christine had no direct living relatives to insist on a thorough investigation of her dissapearance, and Raoul was merely brushed off, so the whole case was just one big formality, and nothing Raoul did could change that.

He sat down, putting his head in his hands, and sighed. _Christine … I'm sorry …_

The room suddenly seemed to drop in temperture, and he shivered, looking up to see if any of the windows were open.

Instead, he was greeted by the familiar image of Christine, smiling sadly at him. Behind her, was a dark figure that seemed to radiate anger throughout the room. He kept a firm grip on Christine's shoulder.

Raoul stood, making a noise of surprise and took a step towards them. But, after that brief moment, they were gone. He stumbled back, unsure if what he had seen was real, or if the stress really was getting to him as much as everyone said it was.

To answer his question, a piece of paper fluttered to the ground where the two had been standing. He took a moment to regain his breath before he hesitantly picked the folded paper up, flipping it open to see a letter, adressed to him.

* * *

_Dear Raoul,_

_ It took me a long time to get Erik to agree to letting me send this letter to you, and even longer to actually write it. I know you must be very, very confused and I must admit I don't really understand it myself. All I know is that Erik died. I died. Yet we are somehow both not exactly … dead. I'd say we are ghosts but that sounds childish. Unreal. And yet that is the only explanation I have. We're ghosts stuck in some sort of purgatory, trapped between the worlds, so to speak. At first Erik made sure to keep me as far away from other people as possible so I couldn't know. But when we were finally around people I tried to talk to them, wave, scream, cry, anything … and … they couldn't see me. Couldn't hear me. It was an awful feeling. It wasn't until then that I fully understood what Erik had meant when he said that by killing me, that it would just be me and him forever. And it is. Technically, there are other people, but they might as well never exist. _

_ I want you to know that I'm not unhappy. Some days I wish I was still alive. Some days I almost wish I was fully and completely dead. But I made my decision and honestly, I don't regret it. You always had so much more to live for than I did. _

_ Everything has changed between me and Erik, and yet nothing has. I could almost fool myself into thinking that it was back when we were simply engaged and I was obliviously happy. But then I look at his face, see his mask and I remember once again. Still, if there is one thing that I am still sure of, it is that I love him, and I suppose that is enough. He says things will grow better with time. I tend to believe him._

_ I just want to say … I love you, Raoul. Maybe not exactly as I thought or as you wanted, but I do. And I'm sorry. I don't want you to grieve, I want you to move on. I know you can, you've always been so strong._

_ Goodbye, Raoul._

* * *

He almost couldn't believe his own eyes, didn't _want_ to believe the letter was real, but he could feel the paper in his hands and saw a familiar curve to the letters that he had grown to know so well when they were children, passing notes in school. He held the letter tighter in his hand, almost crumpling it, desperate to hold onto the little part of Christine that it signified. His body shook from the effort of holding back tears.

_ Goodbye, Christine._


End file.
